Whilst mooching around the darker recesses of Brownhills High Street yesterday (namely Downes newsagents), I happened upon a pile of yellow leaflets – well, double sided sheets of yellow A4, to be precise – so I took one. Perusing the missive whilst taking tea sometime later, it turns out to be a fairly decent read, so I’m going to reproduce it here in full.

If any member of the Partnership is reading this, I’ll be only too happy to publish future copies here for you. Just drop me a mail. This blog gets about 1500 hits a week at the moment and that’s quite a wide audience – certainly more than you’d reach by flyers alone. I’m all for anything beneficial to the community and you guys seem to be putting in a good effort. I’ll list your events as they get closer. The Brownhills Blog supports what you’re doing.

I was interested to note the use of the term ‘I can now confirm…’ in the article about the new Tesco store; this blog has covered and reproduced those plans since they were submitted in May; they haven’t been secret and have been available for all to peruse both through the Walsall Planning website or via posts on my blog. The reason for the rumours is clear; a sizeable portion of the town still think the development is to be the one originally consulted on – 15 or so shop units, waterfront housing around Pier Street, storefront on the High Street. Your description of what they will get is quite correct, but I suspect many are in for a shock when they realise that their main thoroughfare is to remain as rundown and dated as it is now, and that promises of one way systems, bypasses and pedestrianisation were just so much civic hot air. Further, Construction is unlikely to start before late 2012 as WMBC have a contract with LSD for the market for 2 years. At commencement of construction, Tesco want the existing market for their site offices…

Tesco have done little to discourage the idea that Brownhills will get a much better facility than it actually will. If I were a trader in Brownhills right now, I’d be very concerned at the prospect of two years of an even emptier Ravens Court while we wait for the retail giant to suck what remaining life remains in our High Street.